Driving a slow-moving tractor on a highway is legal and a necessary part of farming — but it can also pose a safety risk without the proper use of caution, courtesy, and patience.
To help keep both motorists and farmers safe, the Canyon County Farm Bureau offers the following Road Safety Tips:
- If you see farm equipment on the road slow down.
- Be patient and courteous of others around you. Getting in a hurry could lead to an unnecessary accident. Be watchful of vehicles around you that may also try to pass.
- If you decide to pass farm equipment on the road, please do so with caution.
- If you must enter the oncoming lane of traffic, do not proceed unless you can see clearly ahead of both your vehicle and the vehicle you will pass.
- If there are any curves or hills ahead that may block your view or the view of oncoming vehicles, do not pass.
- Do not assume that a farm vehicle that pulls to the side of the road is going to turn a certain direction or is letting you pass. Due to the size of some farm implements, the farmer must make wide turns. If you are unsure, check the operator’s hand signals and look at the left side of the road for gates, driveways, or a place the vehicle might turn.
We live in farm country. Let’s make this a safe partnership for all of us.